AusBonsai

I got 2 little melaleuca starters yesterday with the plan of ground planting them in the backyard for a couple years.
This is only the second time iv ground planted potential bonsai, the first was a lilly pilly and im pretty sure i planted that in a position that is a lil too shady for the growth i want. I have read that its wise to put a tile (solid flat object) under the root ball to stop downward growth, but thats all i really know about ground planting as of yet...... Im looking for some advice before i plant these melaleucas.....
I want very vigorous growth, should they be planted in full sun how many hours a day would be advised
Should i use bonsai soil or garden soil to fill around the roots should any grit or in-organic material be added?
If i plant them with the soil above the level it is now (in the pots), will this add more taper
Any other tips, hints and advice would be great!!!!

Thanks People
Luke

Luke, Pup would be the best candidate to give you the advice for this type of plants. Just wait for him.
Cheers

Hi Luke
Growing melas in the ground can be a rewarding exercise. I've done it with a few and am happy with the results.

Regarding soil: it just needs to be well draining. If it isn't, don't just dig a hole and fill it with bonsai soil, as the 'hole' will have the tendency to act like a bowl and fill with water and may cause root rot. If the garden soil is heavy, dig in compost/sand and the like in a volume around at least 50cm x 50cm x 50 cm.

I dug around the edges of my trees every 2-3 years, using a shovel pushed vertically down full lenth to cut side roots at about 30-40 cm from the trunk. I also did my best to lift the tree to break any tap roots, but only as far as needed to do this and set it right back where it came from, firmed the soil, watered. The tops were trimmed back, with some idea of styling, especially for the main branches. Once melas get some girth on trunk/branch, they can be hard to bend as they may become brittle and then break. It depends a bit on the species. Also pay attention to the roots coming off the trunk. They will also thicken. If they are not positioned where you may like them, you probably won't be able to move them later.

I wouldn't heap the soil higher than you will have it in the pot. Depending on the species, if it is a 'paper bark', the 'paper' may not develop under the soil and when you dig it up and expose the buried part of the trunk, it will be significanly narrower than that above where the paper has formed - a different colour as well. It can take 10 years to equalise the upper and lower bits! Though some remedial work might shorten this somewhat too. The top pruning is like pruning in a pot - reduce it to take account of the roots you have cut. If you leave too much on top, it could suffer die back where you don't want it.

good luck and have fun

K

Kunzea wrote: good luck and have fun
K

hey kunzea, thanks , i always do
cheers for the tops info!!

luke

Luke, what I have been doing of late with ground planted trees is first placing the tree in a black plastic orchid pot with ordinary bonsai soil and then burying the pot in the garden bed. The roots will escape from the drainage holes and that accelerates the growth. Periodically the tree and pot can be dug up and the roots trimmed back and then bury them again if more growth is required. The obvious advantage of this method is retaining a good root ball inside the structure of the orchid pot. I use this method with junipers and pines and I see no reason it would not work with melaleuca also. Ordinary garden soil is quite OK with blood and bone dug in first. Do not use lime.

John T

Hi Luke, heres some more tips just to confuse you. I field grow lots of trees and have a slightly different take on it. First I grow the trees in pots for a couple of years to prepare them, sort out the roots especially with natives the more fibre you have the easier they will lift.I also put curves in the lower trunk,then plant them out. Use heaps of compost and blood and bone. I like to bury the trunk base down about 10cm below soil level the lower trunk seems to flare out better if its buried a bit. Don't just plant them and walk away you need to keep an eye on the proposed trunk line and the sacrifice branches, have a clear picture which is which. Keep the initial sacrifice branches down low to force the base to flare. Sometimes I cut the trunk and wire a new leader while the tree is in ground.On the sacrifice branches keep the foliage on the outside of the branch and remove any growing back over the trunk that so you can keep maximum light coming in.
I do all my field growing in slightly raised beds so I can work on the trees a little more easily.
When you plant them out dig a big wide hole with a mound in the middle, you can put the trunk base on the mound then spend some time arranging the roots even use wire pins to hold them in place.
Craig

Another twist is that most natives will grow and fatten quite well in pots, given lots of Sun, Water and Fertilizser.

Grant

John, thanks! great info and many ideas from that. Really.. any customized container could match the ability of an orchid pot and i bet we will see specialized ground planting pots before long! (if not already)? The ability to control removal could be handy as!.. good stuff, its got me thinking about a ground planted 'rack', for a few...... : )
Craig, ; ) thank you! preparing the roots in shape, over an object or mound in the hole... mad ideas! it would be like a root jig sorta.
Grant, : ) indeed, and not just with natives.... given the right elements, a pot is the ground. iv made some cool grow pots.... so many ideas for better ones at the moment....
THANKS fellas
luke